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Top 12 Best Buys 2025: Budget Crossover – Kia Sonet

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Looking to upgrade to a new vehicle in 2025? These are the Car Team’s top picks in the budget crossover category with the Sonet taking the title. Find the full feature in the April 2025 issue of CAR Magazine! Looking for a new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag! Criteria In defining the pool of competitors, we factor in both size (smaller than midsize SUVs) and price (up to around the R390 000 mark). Value is a key criterion, as are practicality and features. Winner: Kia Sonet The Sonet has been a longtime favourite at CAR owing to its easy-going road manners, solid construction and good levels of standard specification. On the back of a mid-cycle update last year, the range expanded to an impressive eight-model offering, spanning from the eminently affordable LS at just under R300 000 to the generously equipped halo SX at around R458 000, as well as incorporating a choice of two engines (the trusty 1.5-litre naturally aspirated Gamma unit and a punchy turbocharged three-p...
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Mercedes-Benz E220d AMG Line: Is it Still A Segment Leader?

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The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has always been a pioneering vehicle. However, does the E220d AMG Line live up to the legacy? Image: Melissa Breedt Fast Facts: Mercedes-Benz E220d AMG Line Price: R1 541 260 Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel Transmission: 9-speed automatic Power: 145 kW @ 3 600 r/min Torque: 440 Nm @ 1 800-2 800 r/min 0-100 km/h: 7.6 sec* Top speed: 238 km/h* Fuel consumption: 5.0 L/100 km* *claimed figures Image: Melissa Breedt Looking for a new or used Mercedes-Benz? Find it here with CARmag!  It seems impossible to think that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been the cornerstone of the German marque’s executive saloon line-up for more than 70 years. Beginning life in 1953, before adopting the E-Class nomenclature in 1993, the sedan has continuously set new benchmarks in its segment, making it one of the most respected nameplates in the luxury sedan market. Positioned between the C-Class and the opulent S-Class, the E-Class has alway...
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Top 12 Best Buys 2025: Budget Car – Suzuki Swift

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Looking to upgrade to a new vehicle in 2025? These are the Car Team’s top picks in the budget car (under R260k) category with the Swift earning the title. Find the full feature in the April 2025 issue of CAR Magazine! Looking for a new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag! Criteria Any model that costs R260 000 or less, regardless of size or body shape. Value, cost of ownership, efficiency, and safety features are key factors in this category. Winner: Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ The new Swift recently rocketed to the top spot in the local new car sales chart, and with good reason, too. While it doesn’t radically deviate from what made its similarly strong-selling predecessor such a hit (keen pricing, frugal powertrains and enjoyable driving characteristics among them) it gently improves upon each of them, making it feel slightly more upmarket and refined in the process. While we were immensely impressed with the upper-tier GLX model we tested in our March 2025 issue, the mid-range ...
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Vorsprung 4×4 – Audi’s Q6 e-tron offroad concept

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Based on the Q6 e-tron, Audi’s latest concept adds all-terrain cred to its stylish EV and throws in some whopping torque figures (13 400 N.m)! Image: Audi Looking for a new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag! The Q6 e-tron offroad concept was designed to quite literally claim new ground. The off-road-focused concept boasts a ground clearance of 345 mm (an increase of 160 mm over the emissions-free SUV it is based on), 250 mm wider tracks and thick all-terrain rubber. Related: CAR Rookie Places Second Overall at GR Cup Round 1 The Q6 e-tron offroad concept is equipped with a twin electric-motor configuration. The setup produces a peak power output of 380 kW, which allows for an adequate-for-off-roading top speed of 175 km/h. The most significant upgrade made to the Q6 e-tron donor car is the fitment of four portal axles, which are integrated into the SUV’s wheel-hub assemblies. According to Audi, the specially designed arrangement allows the concept to traverse inclines w...
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Mahikeng Resident Wins Custom Monster Energy Ford Ranger Raptor

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Mpho Clive Motsamai, a 29-year-old from Mahikeng, North West Province, has experienced a remarkable turn of fortune – winning a custom Monster Energy Ford Ranger Raptor. Image: Monster Energy Looking for a new or used Ford? Find it here with CARmag! Motsamai’s elation was palpable. “If you ask me how happy I am from a scale of 1 – 10, I’d say I’m at 100 right now,” he said. His win came after entering a nationwide competition by purchasing a 500 ml Monster Energy drink between 1 August, 2024 and 31 January, 2025. Out of 69 122 entries, Motsamai’s persistence paid off. He attributed his success to patience and faith, particularly after a challenging two-year period of unemployment. “I’ve been without a job for the past two years. I’ve been patient and placed my faith in God to provide. I’ve had a successful job interview this week, and now this win. This is the best week of my life,” he said. “I’ve won a dinner for two with my partner before, but nothing close to this.” Related:...
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Updated Lexus RX Breaks Cover

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Lexus has unveiled the revised RZ electric SUV in Brussels, showcasing a raft of changes designed to elevate the driving experience and address key customer concerns. The most notable addition is the RZ 550e F Sport, a performance-focused variant that introduces a simulated manual transmission experience. Image: Lexus Looking for a new or used Lexus? Find it here with CARmag! The RZ has undergone a comprehensive overhaul, focusing on four key areas: driving pleasure, range, performance and design. The most intriguing development is the introduction of the “Interactive Manual Drive” system on the RZ 550e F Sport. This electronic system allows drivers to control power output using paddle shifters, mimicking the feel of a manual gearbox. Lexus claims it provides “real-time feedback through the throttle, and sounds and visuals that create a closer connection between man and machine”. With a virtual eight-speed setup and simulated engine sounds, this feature aims to inject a dose of d...
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Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Spotted in South Africa!

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The upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 has been spotted undergoing weather testing on South African roads. Here’s what we know so far… Looking for a new or used Mercedes-Benz? Find it here with CARmag! The sighting of a CLE 63 in White River, Mpumalanga has sparked significant excitement, primarily due to reports suggesting a return to a V8 engine — marking a shift from the four-cylinder hybrid setup found in the latest C63. It is widely speculated that the CLE 63 will feature the German marque’s familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, now enhanced with a mild-hybrid system. While official specifications remain unconfirmed, power output is expected to exceed 442 kW, making the CLE 63 a formidable competitor in its segment. As a reminder, the CLE 53, which currently represents the flagship performance-oriented offering in the local CLE line-up, is powered by a 3.0-litre inline-six turbocharged engine, which produces 330 kW and 560 N.m of torque. Related:  Review: Mercedes-Benz CLE ...
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